Traditional on-campus college classes that take place during regular business hours don’t work for all students.
But those interested in earning two-year degrees in more than 30 subject areas are now able to do so with the flexibility of fully online programs through Chattanooga State Community College’s new ChattState Online initiative.
The new initiative, officially launched in December, “is designed to provide busy adults with the opportunity to fit a high-quality college education into their lives,” according to Rebecca Ashford, president of Chattanooga State.
Educators and lawmakers have been pushing to increase the number of Tennesseans earning degrees across the state in recent years, first under former Gov. Bill Haslam’s Drive to 55 initiative and with the help of financial aid programs like Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect.
Tennessee Reconnect specifically targets nontraditional or older adult students who never earned a degree and encourages them to go back to school, but those students often need flexibility as they juggle full-time jobs and families, said Chattanooga State’s Adult Student Services Director Marsha Barker in a statement.